


Back to square one

by 13_of_Spades



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, F/M, Feels, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Novelist Levi, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-04-25 03:16:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14369724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/13_of_Spades/pseuds/13_of_Spades
Summary: They were typical uni students with all the problems. But still happy, because they were together. But thanks to unfortunate incident everything changed. Nobody was the same anymore, they became more distant.But what will happen, when they confront each other with their feelings from the past? Can something change? Is it possible to be happy again, when their minds and hearts were smashed to pieces? No one said it will be easy, but Levi is going to try his best. He is strong after all. And his only wish is to make his life little bit more normal, little bit more happy. But there is only one person, he really need for this scheme...





	1. "Stay safe!"

**Author's Note:**

> This is not going to be super happy story, just for info.  
> Sadly, it's not beta-read, english is not my first language... but I still hope it will be okay. If there are some mistakes, feel free to tell me.
> 
> So... what else to say?  
> Enjoy this and have some fun.
> 
> First chapter is super short, but it will be better in the future, promise! It's just the beginning.

Soft melody, notes and words. It all created the mood in a dark room, where the only light were tiny fairy lights around all the shelves. It was supposed to be extremely cozy and warm place, where was no place for dark thoughts. It was supposed to be place for happiness. Where she should be happy and live without worry. But life is not that easy. It never was. And it will never be. She knew it, dammit. She knew it the whole time. But somewhere deep inside she wanted to believe, even though the harsh reality got her. Her lips were opening to the words of the song, but she didn’t make any noise. Maybe she didn’t want anyone to hear her cry. Because in her own silence her cheeks were wet from tears. No, life really wasn’t fair. Maybe she wanted too much, when she had wished for peaceful life with her boyfriend. He was gone. And so were her friends. No one was here for her. And the ones left were out of reach. Too far for her to go to them. She wasn’t the only one who lost her dear ones, maybe they would greet her and share all the pain together. But she wasn’t strong enough to even show up. Even her phone was dead next to her, because she wasn’t able to look at her lock screen, at the bright smile of her dear lover.  She was cursing herself that she was stuck in a bus, while others were on a party. The party, which some crazy maniac had choose for his shooting. Just few people survived without any serious injuries. Lots of people died on the spot, some during transport, others in the hospital. The message has catch her unprepared for anything like that. The last words of her loved one.

“Shooting in the club. Stay safe! I love you”

She was trying to reach him somehow… but nothing worked. The first what hit her was calling her other friend to tell her it was all a stupid joke. But the voice on the other side of a line says otherwise. She left the bus speechless, on the verge of tears. She ran the whole way from the stop to the club, she didn’t care about the heels she was wearing, about the scarf that was too loose. She just didn’t want to believe all the words they said. Her heart was heavy, the breathing was hard, like she hadn’t had enough air. And then she saw. Saw the police cars, ambulance, lots of injured humans. Her whole mind went blank. In that moment she was able to only drag her feet, trying to get more to the centrum through all the people around. Some man grabbed her shoulders, he was trying to tell her something, but she wasn’t listening.

“Moblit…” Only this name went through her dry lips. Firstly really quiet, but after few seconds she really shouted his name, already crying. He was nowhere to be seen. The man was trying to get her aside, but her legs just gave up. Now he was supporting her, while she was crying and still trying to find her boyfriend.

Everything else is somehow covered in mist. All the talks with police, all the questions. But the worst part was Moblit’s funeral. One of her closest friends came with her as a support but in the end he was more like her bodyguard. Moblit’s family was looking at her like it was her fault. Like she should have died instead. And she felt the same. She should have been on his place, or at least there with him. It wasn’t right that she was alive and he… not. They had so many things planned together. Like renting a bigger flat, where he can have his studio. Where they will have normal bathtub and not that super tiny shower. The plan of having a cat and a creamy sofa and pink coffee machine and stupid pictures on their fridge and ugly hanger for keys and… But now this dream was dead. It meant nothing, because she had no one to share these stupid little things, like towels with stripes and crazy mugs. Like six different forks, five knives but only one spoon. She was left with nothing but memories. And here she is. Sitting in a dark, listening to songs that breaks her heart even more. But she doesn’t care. It’s still too fresh. Still too new to be alone. But one day… one day she might be able to move on. To put his things aside and start from the start. She’s never going to forget about him. But she knows, she really knows, that his wish was for her to be happy. But not now… It still wasn’t right. But… who knows, when the right time will come…


	2. She's back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 6 years later. In one little coffee shop, everything takes a new turn.

Levi was angry. He was sitting here for God-know-how-long already and the idiot was late. Like usual. If someone thought that the Mr. Perfect Erwin Smith was at least ONCE on time that was a major mistake. He was late. Every single time.  Or at least every single time, when there was Levi. And now he was clearly annoyed, because he had some motherfucking deadline to follow. But Erwin clearly doesn’t give a fuck about his work. And the tea here was disgusting. He was already thinking about leaving this place, when the door opened and someone came in. The first thought he had was “the fuck is still not that Mr. Eyebrows,” but then he looked more closely to that person.

They were wearing long dark brown trench coat, messy ponytail and glasses. According to the higher heels of the worn out shoes he decided for the high possibility of this creature being actually a woman. His eyes followed this person the whole time to the counter. He didn’t hear them ordering, but when the person leaned on the other end of the counter and looked around, his jaw fell. Because he knew this woman. And he knew her pretty well. Or at least, he knew her, before she disappeared 6 years ago. He was god damn sure it was her. Now he was just waiting for her to notice him. She was looking around, accepting every detail from this place, so it didn’t take that long. At that time Levi could swear, that her face went pale. The man waved at her and she only turned her head away, took her coffee and started to walk towards the doors. But there was no way he was going to let her disappear again.

“You fucker, stop right now or I’ll put you on a leash.”

Woman in front of him dropped her shoulders and slowly turned to face him. They didn’t pay attention to all the people looking at them.

“Yo, midget. Long time no see.”

“Long time, you shit? You disappeared 6 years ago without single fucking message, you bitch.”

“Sorry, wasn’t time. And now I don’t have time either, I have to go to the university, there’s a seminar I need to catch.”

“You think I let you go just like that?”

“What is your problem, Levi?”

“My problem? My fucking problem is you! First you were always Levi this, Levi that… and when you had enough you just LEFT! So I’m not going to let you go just because you told me.”

“Miss, is this guy annoying you?” Levi turned to tall guy, who came here to defend Hange. Before he was even able to open his mouth, she lifted her hand and shook her head.

“Nah, it’s okay, I know this guy. And I know why he’s angry now. But thank you for your concern, I really appreciate that.” The man looked at them once again, before nodding and leaving back to his table. Hange sighed, while tugging her hair behind her ear, turning back to Levi.

“Okay. Fine. So you want answers? Yes? Okay. I’ll give them to you. But not now. Let’s meet tomorrow evening. 7 p.m. at Rigbey’s near the park. You can’t miss it. Now I really have to go.”

“I hope you won’t fuck with me again.”

The answer to this was only her tired smile. She turned again and she avoided clash with tall blonde man, who was just coming inside.

“I’m so sor… Hange?”

The woman just rolled her eyes, muttered something under her nose and just slid out of the store. She really was in a hurry… With silent “tse” Levi went back to his seat, leaving the other man stand there in confusion. So… she came back. After all these years she came back to the place where all that shit began. Now it almost sounded poetic. Levi took another sip of his almost cold tea, not actually minding the taste anymore.

 

* * *

 

It was 6:52 p.m. The dark haired man was standing in front of Rigbey’s, slowly smoking. No, he wasn’t nervous because he was meeting a woman he knew for such a long time. Woman, who disappeared for 6 whole years without single word. The woman, who changed him. So no, he definitely wasn’t nervous. He threw the cigarette butt to the ashtray, looking around once more. He was waiting for her outside, because he wasn’t exactly sure what to do in the bar. He wasn’t familiar with this place. To be more frank, he wasn’t familiar with any kind of clubs and bars since that incident. Not that he was scared, bud he didn’t believe these places anymore. He didn’t feel safe there. So that was the reason, why he was standing outside, smoking one cigarette after another. And yeah, he totally didn’t dress himself up just for her. Black turtleneck, nicely tight around his torso and arms, showing, that under the fabric is hidden really nice body, slim-fitted black jeans and leather jacket. He even newly shaved! Why was he even trying so hard for a woman, who just… broke him 6 years ago? Did he really just want to show her he is okay even without her? No, that wasn’t it. Levi was strong. But even he had his breakdowns. His writing helped him a lot, it was something like a therapy. At least from the start. Later he made living out of it. Don’t ask him how, he himself doesn’t know. But somehow it worked. And also… Erwin helped him a lot. He was really grateful, that at least someone stayed there with him, when his friends died in the same club, as Hange’s lover.

Levi was finishing another cigarette, when the silhouette of a tall woman appeared. He didn’t move an inch, just pierced her with his pale eyes.

“Hey, Levi.” He nodded. Now he wasn’t sure about what to say or what to do. Everything went to drain, when she left. It was sad, because they were so close to each other and there was no need to talk, since they understood each other without words. Now… the connection was gone.

“Let’s go inside, grab a beer or something.” Levi threw the cigarette butt to the trash, not saying anything. He wasn’t as talkative before, but now he was even more quiet. They both got inside, Levi tensed a bit more. This was new environment for him and he needed to make sure his surroundings are safe. Not that he was scared, just… cautious. He let Hange lead the way to some table in the corner, near the window. Sure, he had to admit, it was kinda nice place, looked even clean enough for him to sit there. They both ordered something – Hange sticked with beer, Levi went for some red wine. He was also thinking about something like tequila or stuff like that, but he decided wine was enough.

There was silence at their table. And not the comfortable one. Hange was the first one to start a conversation.

“You did pretty well. Becoming a famous author… Your style is pretty good. I didn’t know you’re such talented piece of shit.”

“Oh well thank you.” The slightly sarcastic tone was really hard to miss. So she knew about him? Really?

“Levi…”

“Look, shitty glasses. Don’t try to act like nothing happened. You disappeared motherfucking 6 years ago. Without a single word. Do you even know how fucking scared we were?! And now you appeared out of nowhere… Looking perfectly fine?”

The woman sighed. Yes, she didn’t expect it to go smoothly. She knew how bad her decision was at that time. But she really wanted to be alone, have a fresh start and maybe find her composure again.

“Levi… I am sorry. I really am. But I had to made it. You know… I was a huge mess at that time. And I was scared that I won’t be able to breathe, to get over it here. That’s why I left. Also… I… Levi, I went to see a therapist, since I wasn’t able to start living again. I didn’t want to tell you, how fucked up I was. You had a lot of shit to deal with and I didn’t want to be another stone in your bag.” There were hints of tears in her voice. Maybe she still hadn’t overcome it completely. He sighed and just sipped of his wine.

“Hange, look. We were all messed up. But we were trying. At that time, we needed each other the most. Because we were still alive. Because like that we knew we weren’t alone. But you left and left us insecure, if you’re still fucking alive! You weren’t the only one who lost someone important.”

“I don’t want to argue, Levi. To be honest, I didn’t even want to return here.”

His eyebrows rose. Somehow he was awaiting this sentence. He might have done the same thing, but he decided to fight at that time. Sure, he was scared of every other day, his anxiety grew even more, so going on public made him some problems. His sleeping schedule went downhill. But he learned how to live again. It wasn’t perfect – who can say that still being at home, sitting in front of a computer is a life?

“Then what the fuck are you doing here?”

“I… I got accepted in the uni… as a… as an assistant teacher. You know, I always wanted to try this. And since I got the opportunity, why not? But… it was hard to come back.”

“I believe you haven’t planned to contact any of us, right?”

She took a large sip of her beer before answering. Just this gesture was enough for him as an answer. That was the reason he stopped looking at her and gazed solely out of the window. Like… was there something left for them? She didn’t want to be in contact with them anymore. They are just something that binds her to the past, which wasn’t full of unicorns shitting the rainbow.

“I knew that it would be impossible for you to forgive me. And… I didn’t want to remind you what… what happened.”

This caught him off guard. She doesn’t want to remind THEM? He glared at her silently for some time, before deep sigh left his lips.

“You’re supposed to be smart, shitty glasses. We were friends. And I still consider you my friend, Erwin too. Sure, we were pissed at you, we would kick your ass… but fuck… You’re alive, you ass. We can’t be mad at you forever.”

“Oh…”

And after that came another silence. This time not as heavy as before. Levi was now able to breathe, he didn’t felt like he’s suffocating. Maybe this wasn’t that bad idea. And still better than the coffee shop breaks with Erwin. Not that he didn’t enjoy them, but… this was somehow comfortable enough. And without caffeine.

“So… what were you doing these past six years?”

“Hm… I went to see a therapist. I thought that the change of location might help me to sort my mind a bit. Not that I wanted to forget. I just… needed more space to… to start thinking straight. I was running in circles you know? And… I definitely needed to find my way again. That is why I started to go to school there, finished my degree. But there was still something missing. It… it wasn’t home. And I missed you, guys. And few months back they offered me the position here, so I grabbed my chance. It was like a sign to move to the next level. Like… you see? I had to come back one day, to face my past, so I could be able to move towards the future.”

“How long are you even here?”

“Uh… Just few days. The first one I spend sleeping and yesterday… I went to see Moblit. To tell him, I’m back home. I think he would be proud of me, that I am able to stand on my own feet again.”

“That’s nice to hear, Hange. You’re piece of shit, but I’m happy for you. Maybe you chose the best possible way.”

“You think so?”

“I know.”

“Shit… what happened here, since I was away?”

Levi sipped of his wine, not sure how much he can say. On the other hand, Hange told him a lot now. What was he supposed to do? It wasn’t… easy. Not at all. Because it wasn’t his story alone. Erwin had there a huge part and some things… was on him to say.

“Let’s say… a lot. You… have you read some of my books?”

Hange blinked. She looked like she is thinking what to take of this.

“Well… yes. Since I found them in the store, I knew it was you, even though you never used your name.”

“Even _The Black Needle_?”

“That was… the first one, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So yeah, I read that. It was pretty good shit, Levi. But scary as fuck! Like… what the fuck was with the main character? Was he… like… psycho?”

His lips turn to a bitter smirk.

“Do you want to say, I’m some fucking psycho?”

“WHAT?! The fuck, Levi?! That was you?”

“That character was based on me, yes. Writing became part of my therapy of some sort. I was… having quite hard time after that… incident. And when you left, it was… much darker than before. I didn’t know what to do and I… got really low. I ended up in the hospital, after that I started with writing. Erwin helped me a lot. It was him who had to teach me, how to go outside again. Now I can pretty much handle my life, but… I had to go through the hard way.”

Hange wasn’t used to Levi talking so much. He was more the quiet type of a human, leaving his speech as simple as possible. Hearing this from his mouth was like a hammer. Because Levi had no one else than Erwin and her. Yet he was able to fight. He sure was strong. Yet it hurts like hell, because everything she read in his books was truth. It was his talking about his life, about her leaving them.

“Levi… I… Holy shit, I never knew…”

“There was no way for you to know, shitty glasses.”

“You… You really did that?” She pointed on her forearms. As a response Levi just rolled his sleeve to his elbow to show her his skin. It was covered in old scars, even circled once left by cigarette butts. Now she knew he has scars like these all over his body, mainly arms and legs. It was so scary and she felt like shit. It really made her wonder, if she would be able to change something? She wanted to blame Erwin that he wasn’t paying attention enough. At the same time, she knew it’s not his fault. He had his problems too, for sure. They all had.

“Now I won’t be able to read your books ever again, you know?”

“I’m still surprised you were actually reading them.”

“What? I have all of them! I was standing in line when they announced the new release! Shit, you know how to write. But now that I know the main reason of the main character being so… dark… it saddens me a lot.”

“Let’s just drop this issue, can we?”

“Okay… So… you became a novelist, huh? Pretty neat.”

“Yeah. And you a teacher? Better gotta be a joke.”

“Sorry man, I’m the best teacher ever!”

“Maybe in your dreams.”

“Ooooh, c’mon! Believe in me a little! What about Erwin?”

“He owns a wedding salon.”

Hange was just taking another sip of her beer, when Levi answered her question. She simply nodded, but shortly after she almost drowned in her glass.

“The fuck? He owns WHAT?”

“Wedding salon. You know… the frilly white dresses, cute princessy shoes, tiaras, veils and shit like that.” He got used to that, since he was forced to go for some exhibitions with him to help him chose the best dresses for the store. Of course he knew that was just to take him out of the house, but it was still fairly stupid idea. Levi and fucking wedding dresses.

“Erwin?”

“Erwin fucking Smith.”

“Holy fuck… That’s wild…” The beer went down in one motion, because this info was sure hard to swallow.

“How the fuck did he came with this shit?”

“Ask him, not me. I still don’t get it.”

“Unbelievable.” And with that she ordered another beer.


	3. "I don't want to human. I want a cat."

The sunlight was the most annoying thing he could have thought first thing in the morning. And of course he had to forget to close the curtains before going to bed. Well… He didn’t forget, he was just too tired to even think about consequences. They were drinking quite some time yesterday, mostly talking about Erwin and wedding dresses, since Hange was completely overhelmed by this fact. It was nice to see her again after all. He was missing her, that stupid loud laughing and stupid comments. She was still the same. Different but still the same. It might sound weird, but it was true. With sleepy eyes he got up from bed, his steps leading him to the kitchen, so he can prepare his morning dose of black tea. And maybe some toast. Yeah, that sounds like a plan.

After a long time, he finally slept like a log. It was refreshing, even though it was little unbelievable. For such a long time he had struggles with sleep and now? She appeared after six years and ta-dah, goodbye sleepless night? Nah, that was stupid. He was just tired from all the wine, the company and all. That should be it. As he looked around his apartment, it was… empty. For once again he thought: “Ah, it would be nice to share this place with someone.”

Not that he was interested in humans, don’t even think about that. But cat was always a good company, yet he never got his own. After so many years he might change something and finally adopt some beast. It might get a lot messier, but… the soft purring and look at the sleeping beauty would be a good compensation for all the suffering. They even told him in the past that animal might help him to deal with stress. Now he just had to move his ass and actually go to the shelter. But that meant to leave the house. And travel somewhere. Also buying the basic stuff, which is pretty big. And he didn’t have a car. Erwin has. And Hange too.

But Hange was just getting used to her new job, so Erwin was the best choice right now. So Levi took his phone and wrote a simple message: “I want a cat.”

The response came immediately.

 

**Erwin 9:46:12**

_What?_

 

**Levi 9:48:33**

_I don’t want to human. I want a cat. Need a car._

 

**Erwin 9:49:42**

_Levi, you joking, right?_

 

**Levi 9:51:56**

_I need a ride, Erwin._

 

For few minutes there was no answer. And then the phone started ringing. Erwin was calling.

“So? Will you drive me?”

“Levi, you must be joking. Why cat?”

“The fuck why, I just want a cat.”

“Are you drunk? Stoned? Who are you and what have you done with Levi!”

“What the fuck Erwin?”

“Sorry, Levi, but this just sound too crazy even to me.”

Ravenette just sighed, rubbing the base of his nose.

“Maybe I finally decided to follow the doctor’s instructions.”

There was a silence on the other side of the line. Okay, not complete silence, some chirping could have been heard. That meant – Erwin’s at work.

“You mean the one from the therapist? The stress relief and stuff?”

“Exactly.”

Now it was Erwin’s turn to sigh.

“Okay. I’ll pick you up in two hours, I have an appointment in twenty minutes.”

“Another super picky bitch bride?”

“Levi… It’s their special day, of course they want to look fabulous.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure. But then don’t complain to me.”

“When have I ever done that?”

“All the fucking time, since you opened the motherfucking store.”

“Ugh… Really? Och, well… sorry. I have to go, still have some paperwork left. I’ll see you in two hours. I’ll let you know I’m on my way.”

“Sure. Enjoy your day in laces.”

With that he hung up, put the phone on table and smiled for himself. What kind of cat is he even looking for? Well, might as well decide on the spot. For now, he should just look for the shelters around the city. And so he did exactly that.

 

“I would never believe that you can even be like this…” Tall blonde man was looking into the trunk of his car, which was now filled with huge bag of dry cat food, two bags of cat litter, the toilet, bunch of toys and two types of scratchers. This all coming with matching set of bowls. Next to him was fairly shorter guy, arms crossed on his chest.

“What do you mean? I need to be good father to my little princess.”

“And that’s exactly what I mean…”

“Fuck you.”

“So… do you want to take this to your place first, or do you want straight to the shelter to pick her up?”

“Let’s take this to my home. It would be easier to move without meowing beast.”

“Beast? What happened to the princess?”

“Hush! No one asked about your opinion.”

 

Few hours ago Levi wondered, if it wasn’t another mistake of his, and oh boy, he made real lot of them. But it might be first time ever, when his decision will be affecting another living creature. He might have look like angry (but confident) little fuck, but inside he was resembling a portion of wobbly jelly. What if the cats will just hate him? What if everything will be in vain? Just another stupid dream of his? But when he was walking around all the cages with cats, he knew his decision was right. That this is the change he really needs. They were in two shelters and Levi was still without his little companion, slowly he started to lose hope, he’ll be able to find the right pet. Erwin was trying to cheer him up, that they still have some shelters ahead. And that was the time, when Levi saw her. Sitting there like a queen was a young cat with unique facial features, in beautiful shiny black. The sparkles in her eyes of melted gold made him start to believe in magic. He came closer to her, looking into the golden eyes. And surprisingly she came closer to the bars, stretching her neck towards him, soft purrs were heard.

According to the employee it was oriental shorthair, she was even pureblooded with all the documents. That looked pretty crazy to Levi, who would get rid of a cat like this? But now he didn’t care, because he was sure, that him and this cat belong together. He cuddled her soft fur through the bars, sure about taking her home with him. Erwin was watching his friend from afar, slightly surprised to see him in this state. After such a long time he had such a soft look on his face. It was nice to see it again, so… Now he had to admit, that the cat was really good idea. If that could make Levi happy, he will even buy him some premium cat treats from time to time.

And now they were just going to pick Levi’s little princess, who was waiting for him in the shelter, where they let her stay for a bit longer, so Levi could buy all of the cat stuff. Erwin was able to tell how excited his friend was, when they were sitting next to each other.

“Are you going to call her Nefertiti?”

“She’s used to it. And I think it suits her.”

“You already love her.”

“Maybe.”

“You always loved animals more than people.”

“Because the animals are not going to stab me to the back as most of the humans do.”

“There might be something on it.”

“Don’t be jealous, Erwin.”

“I am not jealous, Levi.”

“If you say so…”

They stopped in front of the shelter, Levi got out of the car and went inside to take his new roommate. Erwin stayed in the car, waiting for them to return, so he can take them home. He was sure happy, that Levi found something that makes him happy. And there was also something else that makes him shine again, maybe there had major role their old friend’s return? He didn’t ask about Hange, but hey, he wasn’t stupid to don’t see the change in his friend’s attitude. Now he could only hope for the better days to come. Levi still had so much darkness in him, it was almost incredible that he was still standing, still living.

The door opened again and Erwin could hear the meowing sound of a cat. There was shining aura around Levi and this was something Erwin haven’t seen for a long time. Sure that was something enjoyable, because he saw his best friend in absolutely miserable state. Seeing him like this was calming. Now he was able to believe that he’ll be able to overcome his past completely. He waited for Levi to sit down and buckle himself and the cat safely on the seat, before turning the engine on again, taking these lovebirds home.

“Hange asked about you. Almost drowned when she heard you’re selling wedding dresses.”

“What? Why? It’s a job as any other.”

“Because it’s you.”

“I don’t get it…”

“And you were supposed to be smart… Now I discovered that both of my friends are actually stupid… My whole life was a lie.”

“Levi…”

“You was able to become everything you wanted. You could have been lawyer, own a huge ass company or shit like that. But you opened a wedding salon. You, who has… different tastes?”

“Maybe because of that I did it, don’t you think? I might have better eye for the things women actually desire than actual woman has.”

“Remind me why are we friends?”

“Because you love me.”

Levi made a grumbling noise, which led to the meow of his cat from the carrier.

“It’s easier to run business like this, because I don’t have to hide that much. In other business I would need to act… straight. But like this I can be myself. Maybe because that’s why I did that.”

Yes, that was pretty reasonable, but Levi knew best, that it was only half true. He remembers Erwin talking about a huge wedding he’d love to have. It was on a New Year’s party around seven years ago. They were pretty drunk at that time and they didn’t know Erwin’s gay. For this guy it was impossible to make his own dream come true, so that was the main reason, he tries to fulfill the dreams of others. He respected him for this, because Erwin showed so much strength. Not so many people would be doing this for others. But he looked really happy. Still Levi could imagine him alone in his apartment, crying into the pillow because of broken dreams.

“You know… I am bad at this shit, but you can come over anytime. You know… to brag about all that.”

He didn’t have to say directly what he meant, because Erwin understood him too well.

“Thanks, Levi. It means a lot from you.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever.”

Erwin was there for him, when his life was in ruins, when he was dealing with severe depressions. When he tried to kill himself, because he was so scared of life. Erwin on the other hand was dealing with his own sexual identity, his family and school… but he still had time to take care of his friend. To Levi it meant the whole world. He thought Erwin actually had feelings for him, like in romantic way. They kissed a few times in the past. But to Levi he was just a friend, he wasn’t attracted to guys, he was completely straight. They never talked about it, even though it all made things harder for Erwin. Offering him some time together, when they can actually talk about the stuff they never tried to talk about.

The car finally stopped in front of Levi’s apartment building.

“I have some coffee, if you have time.”

“That sounds good, Levi.” Erwin checked his phone and smiled. “And actually, I can accept your offer, since there are no catastrophes at my store.”

“Sounds lovely they can actually do shit without you.”

“You should just try to spend a day there. You might change your opinion.”

“Are you crazy or what? There is no way I would go to that store! Never.”

Erwin laughed and they both get out of the car, Levi carefully holding his cat carrier. When they got inside of his apartment, Levi put that carrier next to the sofa in the living room and opened the door, quietly talking to the black lady inside. After that he disappeared in the kitchen to prepare Erwin’s coffee and his tea. Erwin was looking around the apartment. He just wanted to make a picture to remember, since it’s not going to be the same anymore. When Levi came back to the room, he put their cups on the table. He wasn’t expecting Erwin to speak up so soon.

“Want me to help you put all of these things together?”

“Oh… that would be huge help, yes.”

Erwin then smiled and took off his jacket.

“So let’s get started.”

 

It took them more than two hours and few angry curses, but after a good work they were sitting on the floor, laughing on how totally crazy this day is. Nefertiti was still hidden in the carrier, while they were working. She was really quiet so they didn’t notice that she got out of her carrier and started walking around the apartment. The first time they knew she’s outside was, when she came closer to them and just sniffed Levi’s leg. He turned his head in surprise to the direction of the movement. He let the cat to sniff him, before he slowly moved his palm towards her. She made two steps back, but soon after she came back, sniffed his skin before cuddling to his hand. Erwin had now amazing view in front of himself. Levi was now truly happy… and he was even able to see tears in his eyes. It was so damn precious moment. Slowly the cat just got on Levi’s lap and curl herself in a ball, just letting her new human to pet her. Maybe the cat therapy will work and make Levi feel better and more stable in his life. Erwin really wanted to believe that. Sure, taking care of another living creature won’t be a walk in a rose garden, but it can help Levi to start living a proper life. Because now he had a reason to wake up in the morning and try his best. This might for sure be the new start for them all. And that was a really good sign.


	4. Bright new morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is trying to get used to his new partner. But his life is not as easy as it might seem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry this chapter comes after such a long time. I am trying to get used to my new job, but it's super tiring and I need to find a way how to work with my free time to do all the things I want to do.  
> But for now, enjoy this chapter ^-^

Levi’s day was always the same (or at least extremely similar). It all begun with him waking up. Next step was shower, then tea and something similar to breakfast. After that he would just listen to some music, making small notes about his next work and just after lunch he would start writing. Also replying to some emails was important for his work. There were times, when he went outside for shopping or to visit Erwin. He tried not to count only on delivery service of his groceries, he tried to get outside of the house more often.

But well, something changed. Levi woke up with a pressure on his chest. When he opened his eyes, he saw beautiful black creature, lying on top of him, like he was some sort of a pillow. He thought she’s going to sleep somewhere else. Not that he mind, actually. It was a nice addition to his daily routine. The only problem was – Nefertiti was sleeping and he felt really bad with just the thought of waking her. She was so beautiful, soft and elegant. Levi slowly lifted his hand and gently stroked her dark fur. Nefertiti’s warmth was calming, really beautiful. Maybe the cat’s body was like small oasis, soft warm pillow on hard wooden chair. The comfortable quiet place far away from Erwin’s store. The cat’s yawn made him smile a little, because just in front of his face was mouth full of sharp teeth.

“Good morning, princess. Have you slept well, hm?”

As an answer came only slow soft purrs. Yes, Levi grew really fond of this little girl. He fell in love with her and if he had to stay alone, her presence would be enough for him.

“You are really the prettiest woman in my life… if we’re not talking about the four eyed idiot. She might not be the world’s top model, but… she is still the most beautiful woman I ever met, you know? At school she fell in love with a guy… a friend. And they were happy. I wanted to be happy for her. But I was so jealous. Ugh… why am I telling you this? What do you think? Can we be happy together? You and me? I think yes.”

They were still cuddling, cat lying on top of him, really happy that someone payed her attention.

“What about some breakfast? I believe there is something good for my little princess.” The cat meowed and just jumped down from his body. Levi’s thought was just about how clever this girl is. She might be more inspirational than he thought at first. He slowly followed her to the kitchen, where he just started preparing water for his tea and while waiting for the water to boil, he simply made something small for his beautiful lady. All the time she was just rubbing against his legs.

As he sat down with his tea, the cat was just munching her share of morning treats. It was something simply new, so he did spend his time just looking at her, trying to memorize all of her movements. It was simply fascinating for him, how she moved. Everything was new for him. He wasn’t used to the presence of another living creature, but it all started to change now. He was sure it will be hard for both of them, but they can cope somehow.

Their day went slowly, nothing special happened. The cat was still near him, like she was watching him. He was simply doing the same thing as her, they both were getting used to each other. After this day they both knew, it will work between them. She wanted new family and he needed a buddy. The most precious moment for Levi was the time, when he was sitting on his chair, rewriting part of his story once again. He felt disappointed in his own work, disgusted even. But then he felt something warm on his lap. The first second he got scared, but when he saw the darkness of fur, his mind calmed down. His fingers run through the softness. Her responses were better than any kind of pills, coffee or other stuff he tried to use during the past years. Because this was actually working. Just sitting there, cuddling, trying to fight with his inner demons. Why didn’t he think about this earlier? Nefertiti was the pure ray of sunshine in his dark life, he actually felt good. More in peace. And hell, that was nice.

 

In the evening the warm silence of his flat was disturbed with the sound of incoming message.

**Erwin 19:55:14**

_Is the cat still alive?_

**Levi 19:56:48**

_(Image send)_

_Yeah. Sleeping right now after huge amount of cuddles and feather hunting._

**Erwin 20:00:02**

_This is so cute! You were actually playing with her! Tell me more!_

**Levi 20:10:14**

_She’s really adorable. But now she tried to munch my elbow. Not very comfortable feeling, you know? But I still love her. Yeah, I love her. If she was an actual woman, I would marry her. We ate together, we played together, we also had a nap together._

**Erwin 20:11:57**

_YOU HAD A NAP?! MIRACLE!!_

**Levi 20:13:03**

_She got on me and fell asleep. So I closed my eyes too. Woke up hour and half later. Got to do that again._

**Erwin 20:15:31**

_I can’t believe that. We should have got you a cat earlier!_

**Levi 20:16:16**

_Sorry, have to go. Talk to you later. Good night._

 

It looked crazy to him. He spent lot of time on the floor playing with the cat, he didn’t feel the urge to take his pills to keep him sane, because he kind of… didn’t get to the state he would need them. It might be good start for his new life. Nefertiti was the good start for him. And he was happy about it. Now, as he was lying in the bed, trying to fall asleep, he was thinking about all of his life choices. Where he did a mistake… And oh boy, he found so many moments, when he chose the wrong path. Levi had to close his yes, it started to be too much for him. He was alone in his bedroom… but not for so long. The soft thuds of cat paws were barely hearable, but the movement on his bed for sure was noticeable. Nefertiti came to him, made herself comfortable on his chest again. He should get used to it really quickly, or it might be really awkward. For now, he just moved his hand and started to stroke her fur. Did he said something about getting a cat earlier? Bad idea. Any other cat won’t be as special as this one. No other cat than Nefertiti would do. Because there was something between them. Some kind of chemistry or shit like that.

He doesn’t even remember when he did fell asleep. But what he knew for sure was the fact, he was sleeping through the whole night. Without nightmares. Or at least he does not remember them. What is happening? Is it really miraculous power of his fur buddy? Or is his mood kind of better because the four eyed idiot is back in town? Impossible, they’ve seen each other only two times. One brief in the coffee store and the other one they spend drinking and talking about Erwin. They haven’t contacted each other since then. Maybe he missed it. To talk with this idiot.

After all the years she didn’t change that much. Hange was still as crazy as before. Sure, that accident left a scars on her, but at least she was able to move on. She was now a teacher. He still remembers how she wanted to be the head of some super cool research… with Moblit as her helper. Actually, that would be nice, Moblit was smart, he had a talent. And he was able to stop Hange before she could have hurt herself. And what was Levi doing at that time? He doesn’t even remember. But for sure it was something stupid, like being jealous or something like that. Because yeah, it was him who was saving Hange from bullies. Not that she needed that, but he felt good, while doing that. Because it was something only he could have done. But… she still chose Moblit over him. It broke his heart at that time. But well… it was all in the past. Levi looked at his new cat and sighed.

“But I might still like her… Isn’t it crazy?” Nefertiti just meowed and showed him her beautiful sharp teeth just second after that. She was really adorable. Even things like these she was able to do gracefully. Maybe he should learn something from her.

“You are right, princess. Maybe it’s time for some breakfast, no?” With that the cat got on her legs, stretched herself before stepping on his chest closer to his face to just rub her head against his chin and later the cheek. Strangely enough, he didn’t mind it. If that was someone else, or maybe a different animal, he would freak out, how disgusting it is. Well, Nefertiti was his, so he actually didn’t mind that.

“Oi, oi… More cuddles?” The loud purring next to his ear gave him his answer. Levi took his cat, changed his position and started to cuddle and play with her. She was just too adorable and he wasn’t able to tell her no. And… why should he? It was nice, it was fun and it made him feel at ease. It made him forget about all the bad things, because she was completely overtaking his mind. And that was exactly what he needed.

 

The everyday routine changed, but Levi didn’t give a fuck about it. Why is that? Shit, he needed a change really badly and now he had it. Nefertiti was something unpredictable and wild, somewhat untamed. He was lost, he needed to concentrate at her, because he didn’t know how to cope with most of the situations.

Like cat stealing food from his plate. Or cat sleeping on his keyboard. There was so many things he needed to know about how cats work… but he enjoyed every single moment. Even the smelly situation, which toilet cleaning definitely was. Work had to be done, and his book definitely wasn’t going to write itself. Even though he was still using his own memories and all of the things from the darkest part of his mind and soul, he was now looking at all of the thoughts, stories and memories as a distant person. He learned how not to get hurt by them all over again. But sometimes… sometimes he was weak. Sometimes his eyes got filled with tears, his body went numb and mind got lost in darkness. But he learned how to live with it. Mostly because all the pain left him after some time. He slowly became numb towards himself.

But back to his black lady. He was able to find her on really weird places in even weirder positions. Yes, he heard the cats are liquid, but he never believed it… until he’d seen it with his own eyes.

He was looking for Nefertiti in the evening, after getting from shower. He thought she’s hidden somewhere, so he just went to the kitchen for some water… and he almost shrieked like a little girl. Because the black beast was hiding in a bowl. And the only thing he saw were her golden eyes.

“Fuck… Nefertiti. What the hell are you doing? And how the fuck did you even fit there…”

The answer was soft purring from his beautiful lady.

“Okay, woman logic, I am not asking anymore.” Levi then took his water, turned himself just for a second… and when he turned back, she was already sitting on the counter, looking at him, waiting for some more attention.

“You want me to praise you? Yes?” Sigh left his lips, before he patted her head. “Good girl, princess. Good girl.” Her closed eyes and soft purrs were the signals he’s doing things right. Why does cat’s not come with a manual? He needed one. Somehow. Or maybe not, it looked he’s doing just fine. At least according to his lady. And hell he wanted it to stay this way, because he didn’t want to have his flat ruined, or even get shit ton of scratches on his body.

 

But you know? Everything is not all about unicorns farting rainbows. And Levi had to be reminded of that once again, since he might have forgotten about all the shit he went through. This grim reminder came later that night, when the nightmare got him unprepared. Actually, can you be prepared for a nightmare? Maybe not, but it still was a low blow. The past two night were now like a dream. Decent sleep was like a miracle for him and yeah, it might not be supposed to be a stable thing in his life. Miracles don’t happen so often, right? He woke up, covered in sweat, his hair stuck to his face. And hell he wanted to vomit so badly. Levi’s stomach was now hurting him so badly, like it was having an illegal techno party! He doesn’t remember what the dream was about, but he knows for sure he hates the feeling of being weak and scared to death. His whole body was trembling and he wasn’t even able to sit. All he could do was curl into a tiny human ball, hugging the pillow, while desperately trying to disappear from all the mental pain. Silent tears were making their way on his sweaty face, to just disappear in the fabric of the pillow. What the hell he did to deserve this shit again?

His body stiffens, when something touches his back.

Meow.

And another one.

Followed by another soft poke to his back.

Then something just jumped over him and poked him to the head. So he turned it a bit to see the two golden eyes staring at him, before the black body leaned to him, not minding his disgusting presence. She wanted to comfort her human, to make him feel better. It was the mysterious power of cats – they knew exactly someone needed them. And Levi was now just discovering a new side of living with this magical creature. He lifted his hand and hugged the warm body, which curled closer to him, comforting him with all the purrs. As she was saying: “Don’t worry, my human. I am here. And I am not going to leave you.”

And hell… Levi needed that. But yet he wasn’t able to fall asleep again that night.


	5. Return to the crime scene

They say – the criminal always comes back to the crime scene. She thought it was stupid, but she felt like doing the same thing. When she was leaving the city 6 years ago, she never thought she would be able to come back. Because what was there for her? Grave of her loved one and painful memories. She felt weak just thinking about the places she used to know, where she was used to be happy. But as they say: she could not hide forever. If she wanted to became strong, she should fight her own demons. And she wasn’t weak. She was able to overcome almost everything. The last thing to do was… to come back. And to finally face her own past.

Surprisingly it wasn’t that bad as she feared from the start. She felt like shit while leaving her safe zone, but in the end it wasn’t that bad. She could cope with all that. And most of the things made her smile a little. Like remembering, how she tried to climb a tree, Moblit trying to stop her, Erwin already having first aid kit in hand and Levi… just being Levi. With all his snarky comments about her being old piece of shit to do that. Of course she fell. And she almost broke a bone, but there was Moblit to catch her. In the end it was just a funny memory. As much as all the others. Okay… only that one wasn’t happy, but she was not going to visit that place. After so much time it was easy to face all of it. And almost first thing to do, when she woke up the next day, was paying a visit to the one, who mattered the most. His grave was nice and clean, like someone was taking proper care of it. Hange thought that might be the work of his family, but she wasn’t so sure. They… were never the right parenting figures in her eyes. Yes, they were blaming her for his death, but they never took care about his life before. Because there was a reason she never met them thank to the occasion of “parents, meet my girlfriend – this is her and I want you to be nice to her.” No. It was just by mistake, when they’ve seen each other in the grocery store. And even there it was more like: “Fuck, parents… RUN!”

First she thought it was funny, but later she discovered the truth about their relationship and oh boy, she didn’t like it. Sadly, there was nothing she could have done. So she was there for her partner, trying to be his new family. And fuck, if that incident never happened, she could have been married by now. Shit, that sounds wild…

There was a thing she didn’t expect though. And that was running into the midget Levi. She recognized him the second her eyes spotted him. He looked older, definitely more tired and kind of… pissed? Okay, something similar was his basic face, but this… this was creepy. And running away didn’t work this time. Well… truth to be told, she was thinking about contacting him. Or Erwin. But she was scared. You know, she left all the years ago, said nothing… just took her shit and run away. And then never left a message. Even now she wasn’t mentally prepared to meet them. But the midget-incident happened and she promised him the meeting in Rigbey’s. She discovered it just a day before thanks to colleague from college, liked the beer and food… and it was close to the school, so… yeah. Definitely worth the shot.

And you know what? For the past few years she chose to wear more comfortable clothes, more manly fashion than before, when she even tried to look feminine. Now? It was useless and all her makeup ended up in a trash. But for that one evening she wanted to look more presentable. Maybe even more than the time she was coming for her first day at work. So what to wear? Nothing seemed to be right in her eyes. In the end she went for black wide pleated pants, simple cream colored blouse and very plain mary jane shoes. They were the most girly thing in her closet for the time being. Like this she went to see Levi. Gosh, she even tried to tame her hair! And that was actually something worth a medal.

She was really nervous about that meeting, even more, when she saw him smoking in front of Rigbey’s. He didn’t go inside without her. She noticed his body fidgeting a little. Was he nervous too? That she might run away again? It wasn’t that hard to talk to him. But during their evening she discovered some things she… never knew. Like about what happened when she left. And GOD! She felt like piece of trash! And then it cliqued. Why he was so fidgety from the start. Not only outside, but even inside of the bar. Because he was fucking insecure about that place! Why did this have not crossed her mind?! He was there, unlike her. He survived… unlike someone. She never blamed him he survived, because he had to take his own share of pain. Because he saw his friends being killed in front of him. He saw the massacre with his own eyes and he was one of the few who survived. He ended up in hospital with severe mental block, which lead to aggression to the level, he had to be put on the sedatives. Luckily he calmed down relatively soon, but… he had it all inside. Levi was not the chatty type of person, who would share with you even what they think about mice trying to occupy Earth. So the fact he wasn’t talking about it didn’t actually surprise anyone who knew him at that time. Yet she felt bad for bringing it up like this, even though he said himself he’s over it. Somehow. Partially maybe, but completely not. There were still things about this place, this whole situation, that made him uncomfortable. She could just hardly imagine what he has to gone through the past 6 years she was gone. Sure, Hange got her own shit to deal with, but… but she wasn’t there. She never had blood of so many people on her. She can’t know. There is no way for her to understand his pain, all of the images in his head, all the stuff buried somewhere deep inside of him. She can’t even imagine all the thing pictured in his own books! And hell he was pinpointing every single detail of everything. She never had something more detailed in her hand, not even the biology textbook! And that was scary.

Luckily they started talking about something more cheerful, and that was Erwin. And that definitely caught her by surprise. Owning a wedding salon was something she didn’t expect even in the slightest. How?! Maybe this topic made her decide to pay that man a visit. She just had to see it with her own eyes to believe. But it was too crazy for Levi to just made it up. And so… she went there two days after her meeting with Levi. Mostly because the next day she had work and slight hangover. To find the address wasn’t that hard. And to find the store itself? God, it was gorgeous even from the outside! This man for sure knew what he was doing! Yet she felt so out of the space in her jeans and NASA t-shirt, in slightly baggy hoodie.

“Can I help you… miss…?” Aaaaah, here it goes again. She turned to the receptionist and smiled at her.

“Oh, hello, sweetie. I am looking for the owner? Erwin? You know, the tall Greek God with that super manly chin?” Well, great? Maybe not the right way how to start the conversation? But that was just her, she had to make that comment. But she forgot to mention his eyebrows… well, maybe next time.

“I am sorry, but we are not allowed to let strangers in, unless you have an appointment.”

“I need an appointment to get inside the store?” Her eyebrow twitched. Was she crazy? Or this girl was touched to the head… or did Erwin really made that stupid rule?

“I am… extremely sorry, but… you just don’t look like… a future bride.”

And well, now Hange took it personally. She was usually really calm about things, but this was really mean from this employee.

“Is this your way how to treat customers? If yes, the shop’s value dropped a thousand points just because of that. How dare you just say someone doesn’t look like a future bride? What do you even know about all the people coming here? I just wanted to check out the business my friend was holding but now I really wish to see him and make a complaint. So will you be so nice and call him here?”

The girl went pale. She should be scared as fuck, because Hange was going to really give a complaint about her behavior towards future customers. It might have been true, but she could have find a different way of saying that. This way it was simply rude and unprofessional.

“I am waiting. Will you call him, or should I just make a scene here to make him come here on his own accord? Choose wisely now.”

Well, the girl was not even able to move her hand towards the phone line, when the doors opened and the tall blonde Greek God appeared.

“What’s going on here? I thought it was some weird commotion when I went back from the storage-…” He stopped when he noticed the person standing next to the counter like some goddess of war.

“Hange, dear! What are you doing here? God, I wasn’t expecting you, I would buy a cake or something. Please, come in.”

“Here you are you asshole. I wasn’t expecting myself here either, but Levi told me about it and I was curious.” They hugged each other and the receptionist went extremely pale because now she knew she fucked it up really bad. But her boss took the brown haired person inside, not giving the young girl another glance. Yet she still wasn’t able to sigh in relief, because all the complaints on her might come later. And oh boy, Erwin was scary while being angry. She should be more careful with her mouth from now on.

 

“Do you want a coffee?”

“I’d love a tour around your store. I’ve heard something from Levi already, but I want to see it with my own eyes, if it’s possible?”

“Of course it is! This is my pride and joy! And if you want to see it, would be my pleasure to show you around.” And with that their tour around the store started. It was really pretty and she could see how much work was there. How much time and money were spent on building this. It was beautiful. He even showed her where they have all the dresses, even let her touch something from the new collection – but of course right after she wiped her hands with a wet towel, since they really want to avoid stains on these expensive pieces.

“Actually, Hange… I really want to see you in wedding dress. I bet you’ll be the most stunning bride in the world.”

“Thanks, Erwin. But first – there should be someone to marry me. And I think it won’t happen for some more time.”

“I know. I am sorry, I should have stay quiet…”

“No. No, it’s all right. It’s not that… It’s not. I just don’t feel like I can start a new relationship. I need a little more time, you know? To get used to this place once again. Gosh, even Moblit wouldn’t agree with me being alone for the rest of my life.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked around once more, before they disappeared in Erwin’s office. He made them coffee and also found at least some chocolate. He always had something sweet to calm himself down, when the brides were too much on him. And sometimes they really were. But now there was Hange. His friend. After such a long time. It was almost weird.

“Erwin, tell me something. How are you choosing your employees? Like… The girl at the entrance was super pissing me off.”

“What? Really? What happened?”

“She told me I can’t go inside, if I have no appointment. Okay, I might understand that one. No loitering people around the store with expensive shit, no one annoying your customers, you don’t have to worry. I get that. But telling someone they don’t look like a bride is too much. You should teach them how to treat women, who are different than the ones from title pages of fashion magazines. Like me, or people with tattoos, shaved hair or without a limb.”

Erwin’s features hardened.

“She did what?” She saw how he’s getting angry. Even though he was the calm kind of angry – which was super scary… but…

“Erwin, dear. I know. It’s unprofessional. But isn’t it even your fault? Little bit?”

“My fault? What do you mean?”

“You gave her this position without considering this? Did you tell her how to treat people? Just talk with them. I believe you chose them because they are good. All of them. For fucks sake, Erwin. You always knew how to choose the best things! So your employees are without a doubt great team. Just… tell her. Don’t be the bad boss. I gave her piece of my mind and she looked terrified. That was enough of punishment.”

He looked like he was really thinking about her words. Maybe he really made a mistake. Considering how busy it was past few days it was possible he forgot about some things.

“You are right. I will talk to her.”

“And don’t be an asshole. They should respect you, not fear you. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“And now. Tell me, my dear Erwin Smith… Are you dating someone?”

“W-what? Hange, how did we get there?”

“I just want to know, Erwin. I am single, Levi is single… so what about you?”

“I think I am single too.”

“Single, or married to your work?”

“Maybe both. You know… I haven’t found the Mr. Perfect.”

“But you won’t find him here at work! Or do you think he will come through your door with words: Hey, I am future Mr. Smith?”

The cheeks of Erwin got rosy colored. He was feeling a bit ashamed, to be honest. He was getting it a lot from Levi already. That he should leave the work and go somewhere for some fun, to meet new people. Truth, he was the only one, who wasn’t in the club incident – or at least not directly, because was outside the city and got the news too late. But since then he was taking care of Levi and this store. This man was simply incredible.

“You know you deserve someone super awesome, right?”

“Maybe. But do they deserve me? Don’t forget I am not absolute win in the lottery.”

“Bullshit. Man, who is your type? Tell me!”

“I am not doing that ever again, Hange. No blind dates anymore.”

“Awww, c’mon!”

“No. These things needs time. And I am sure I’ll find someone. Maybe this week, maybe next year… but I won’t stay alone forever, my dear friend.”

“But I could have helped you?”

“Like the one time in the uni? Dear, I know you meant well, but that guy was more interested in my dog than in myself.”

“Your dog was your strong point.”

“That hurts!”

“And how is she?”

“She died 4 years ago.”

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

“She was old, what could have been done? She had beautiful life full of love and treats. She helped me a lot when I felt lost with Levi.”

“To be honest, I read about it in Levi’s books. He told me, it was written about him so… I am making a picture of the past few years thanks to that. And I am really sorry I left. I should have stayed here.”

“And do what? Hange, you did what you thought was right. We all did. We can’t blame you for your choices. And you know what? You are back. That is what counts.”

The woman felt tears coming into her eyes, but she smiled. Yeah. She overcame her issues, her insecurities and fears. She came back. And now she can start living again. Maybe they all could make a fresh start.

“You know what, Erwin? If I’m ever going to get married, I want you to help me pick out my wedding dress.”

Because who can help you better, then the gay best friend, who is also owner of the wedding salon and knows the best of the best? Your guess is right! No one. And simply as that, Hange stole another chocolate praline from the box on the table, smiling innocently to the man on the other side.


End file.
